"Hey Pilgrim!"

Happy Thanksgiving!

Some fruit to be thankful for at this time in late November.

Pomegranates at Jennifer and Mike's home

 

Giant Pomegranate from the same tree

Kiwi fruits in Lafayette.

 

Kiwis need a male and female vine to be fruitful

 

Avocados on a tree in the Southampton Hills district of Benicia. We might think it too windy up there on the ridge adjacent to the Carquinez Straight but this mature tree is having an exceptionally good year.

Hachiya Persimmon in Lafayette

The Fuyu is the rounder variety.

CROP SWAP

Wednesday, November 26th

 

Center Ave Community Garden

333 Center Ave. Martinez / Pacheco

6:15 trading starts at 6:30

Bonfire and Chocolate at 7:00

Please join us for our last Crop Swap of the season. We will be trading Veggies, ideas, plants, fruit, nuts, honey, eggs, seeds, home canned goods, recipes among other items. We will also be having a Bonfire and hot chocolate to celebrate all the season has to offer. As always no money exchanges hands. 

Please bring a chair and a mug for the chocolate. 

We will be collecting gently used tee shirts of all sizes from infant to adult in every size for the Huaorani in the Amazon. Please Tee Shirts only, thank you. 

Jennifer Brennan 925-360-4762

 

 

DVC Spring Classes

Here is a tentative guide to some very valuable classes offered at DVC
It's good to support our local college.

 

*SPRING CLASSES 

H110 3644 2:30-5:20PM  INTRO  M/W  (Steve Andrews) 

H110 8117 6:30-9:20PM  INTRO  M/W  (Bethallyn Black) 

H120 3648 3:00-5:50PM SOIL SCIENCE  T  (B.BLACK/S.ANDREWS) 

H120L 3650 3:00-5:50 SOIL SCIENCE LAB  R  (B.BLACK/S.ANDREWS) 

H135 8232 9:00AM-5:00PM ESTIMATE/CONTRACT  alt.Sat  (B.BLACK) 

H147 8240 6:30-9:20PM ANNUALS & PERENNIALS  W  STEW WINCHESTER 

H147L 8242 9:00AM-4:00PM ANNUALS & PERENNIALS LAB  alt.Sat  STEW WINCHESTER 

H167 3642 12:00-12:50PM SPRING PRODUCTION  F  STEW WINCHESTER 

H182 8263 6:30-8:20PM LANSCAPE DESIGN II  T  (FRANK KLUBER) 

H184 8289 6:30-9:20PM PLANTING DESIGN  M  (PAM WINTHER) 

 

UPCOMING TALK

 

DECEMBER 3RD Plug in Logs (Mushrooms) by Michelle 

UPCOMING EVENTS 

DEC 6TH AND 7TH FUNGUS FAIR SF Hall of Flowers  10am-5pm $8 with student I.D. ($10 w o) 

FEB 12TH NORCAL SHOW in San Mateo 

Persimmon leaves in November

Happy Thanksgiving !

 

David

Permaculture in Benicia

On November 1st 2014 a new era began at the Avant Community Garden in Benicia.
An 8' x 16' plot was cleared and planted as a Permaculture demonstration garden. Small beginnings but a very important development in the history of this high profile community garden situated on a lot for sale in the middle of downtown Benicia. Positioned at the corner of 1st Street and E. D Street, for a decade this garden has long served and inspired local residents.
 More at: beniciacommunitygardens.org

Before

After

 

The Benicia Sustainable Backyard program is an off shoot of Benicia Community Gardens, a non profit that manages two community gardens and an orchard along with other social enterprises supporting local sustainability. Our goal is to install at least 10 back yard food forests based on Permacuture principals. This includes vertical layers, plant guilds and the use of greywater.

 

Here is a recent Contra Costa Times article that explains more about the BSB Food Forest or Seed Plot plan for Benicia.

 

Food Forest Farm West

Jessica Bates is developing her business in El Sobrante. She specializes in Food Forest design and maintenance. I recently visited her home where she has an amazing variety of useful edible perennial plants in her nursery. She is almost complete on redesigning her front garden.

Jessica at home in her garden

Please visit Jessica's blog

 

Martinez: Curly Kale and Onions growing in a front yard barrel.

 

Miss November x 2 ?

Unprecedented, we have never seen the coveted "Chicken of the Month" title awarded to more than one hen. If brevity is indeed the soul of wit then the brief explanation is recognition of their join contribution to the 'Benicia Sustainable Backyard' program info sessions and the preparation of the demonstration garden at Avant. Both twins, Big Aeigchellski and Little Aeigchellski, equally contributed to the soil preparation, weed seed and pest control. They nobly demonstrated their valuable role in nature where everything is connected and everything serves more than one function.

Any worms, spiders or larvae?

Helping clean up a potato patch. Scratching for food and cultivating at the same time.

Systematically scouring other areas for nutritional potential

So we have two "Miss Novembers" who travel well and are easy to direct back into their travelling suite at the end of the day. Their breeding is White Crested Black Polish. Both are molting, which is a natural thing for them to do at this time of year. For them Nov.1 was certainly a wonderful banquet of a day to remember (if they do?).

Anika: Ardent admirer and food sponsor of the Aeigchellski Twins

Hope you enjoyed the beautiful full November Moon last night.
The November moon is sometimes called the Hunters Moon in the UK. The Beaver Moon in a native American lore. Other names include the Frost Moon and the Snow Moon. The last two not so much here in Martinez :))

Happy days of Fall,

David
925 286 7225